“Access Israel” and the Israeli Paralympic committee held the “Feeling Accessibility” event for the fifth time, an important and meaningful event in which all senses open up and become sharpened, for the purpose of raising awareness of the public to the subject of accessibility, Paralympic sports, equality for people with disability and their enormous potential. The event also was the beginning of the journey to finding the next Paralympic star, as was announced.
By means of parasports and original ways to get people to experience disability, the thousands of visitors (children and parents) watched and participated in wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis and rugby, Goalball (foot) for the blind, handcycle riding, riding blindfolded with an escort on tandem bikes, obstacle course with wheelchairs and more.
The public that filled the Tel Aviv port took part in the different stations to experience and become more aware of the different disabilities in the method of “Until you experience- you can’t understand”. These were activities for the entire family in which you experience how it feels to have a disability. These include: blindfolded ice cream tasting with the participation of the Chef Haim Cohen, graffiti drawings without the use of hands, tattoos in sign language, a sign language workshop, mouth painting, experiencing hearing disabilities, walking with a guide cane and more.
In addition, the visitors enjoyed a spectacle of a flight of solidarity show from the company Moonair. A formation of four light aircrafts passed over the port in which pilots and passengers with disabilities took part, and a flotilla of kayaks sailed across the coast for the purpose of solidarity as well. Another peak was the performance of the deaf rapper Sean Forbes that came especially from Detroit and gave a show with his band, his friend the rapper Professor M.L. Leibler, and with the Israeli rapper Izzy. This is the first rap performance that had such a fantastic live translation to Israeli sign language done by the translator Tami Shema to excite the crowd.
We wish to thank all those who came to our event despite the hot weather and traffic jams.
Thank you to our partners: The Israel Disabled Sports Association and the Paralympic Committee, Tel Aviv Port and the Municipality on Tel Aviv and the American Embassy.
Thank you to the organizations: Spivak, Ilan, The non-profit “Etgarim”, IDF Disabled Veterans OrganizationBeit Halochem, Kenvelo, Bekol, “Pass it on”, Migdalor, Yad Sarah organization and The Daniel Center for Rowing.
Thank you to our sponsors: El Al, Amot, Eyal Coatings, Hydrofix, Nestle, Afikim, Eden Water, Shlomo SIXT, the International, the Yad Sarah organization, The Daniel Center for Rowing.
Thank you to the staff of Access Israel: and our friends at Access Israel North (A.I.N), the “Space for Independent Living” in the Galil, Eilat and the Arava, that worked relentlessly on the organization of this event.
Thank you to our producers: The producer of the event: Oranit Ben-Dror- making events that last, technical producer- Gil Biran, and the PR office. Orna Ben-Haim and her team, Kan Bonim- Oren Kiviti, Lebetach. The dedicated ONEMAN BRAND, Shai Sagi— branding, designing and advertising
Thank you to the tens of volunteers: Volunteers from “Ru’uach tova”, from Kineret College, “Knafaim shel Krembo”, Migdalor, Dror schools, that came and made everyone’s time pleasant.
And a huge thanks to all that have arrived: You are welcome to upload any pictures you have taken at the even to our Facebook page. For the picture album of the event – click here
